The making of Dylan's Blood on the Tracks
by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio
February 23, 2004

"A Simple Twist of Fate" tells the story of how Minneapolis musicians came together to re-record several tracks of Bob Dylan's album, "Blood on the Tracks." (Image courtesy of Da Capo Press)

St. Paul, Minn. —
Thirty years ago, at a time when his marriage was falling apart, Bob Dylan recorded Blood on the Tracks, considered by many critics as one of the great breakup albums of all time. Rolling Stone magazine ranks it as one of the top 20 albums of the rock era. A new book explores the creation of that record, including the story of a group of unknown Minneapolis musicians who helped shape its sound.

Dylan originally recorded the album's tracks at a studio in New York City in September 1974, but when he came back to his farm in Minnesota a few months later and listened to the tapes, he was dissatisfied with how some of the songs turned out.

So Dylan asked his brother David to assemble a group of musicians to help him re-record some of the tracks. In December 1974, they got together at Studio 80 in south Minneapolis and recorded five new tracks for the album.

Kevin Odegard played guitar on the Minneapolis sessions and he is the co-author of a new book, A Simple Twist of Fate: Bob Dylan and the Making of Blood on the Tracks.

Odegard talked about the experience, and about his book, with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer. Listen to the interview by choosing the audio link in the right column.

Odegard and the other Minneapolis musicians who played on Blood on the Tracks will perform all the songs from the album March 3, 2004, at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis. Dylan has been invited to join them, but he is not expected to show up.